I have been taking Propecia for the last ten months. This has an impact by reducing my libido significantly.

Can I take Propecia every alternate day without risking hairloss?

Trying:

The answer is "maybe". The only way you'll know is to try.

My guess is that if you reduce your dose mildly, then you should keep the good effects and hopefully get the libido back.

Unfortunately, probably with you, the reduced libido and increased hair retention work together. But each person is different.

Your question is difficult to answer. A doctor will give you the same answer I'm giving you because each case is different.

BUT . . . I can say that if I were in your shoes, I'd reduce my dose or frequency and see if that helped your libido. If it doesn't, then I'd quit Propecia and try Rogaine full time.

I'd rather lose my hair than not have my libido.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Taking Propecia on alternate days is something to consider if you have libido issues. Or take half a Propecia on a daily basis. The trick is to see if you can strike a balance somewhere, where you still get the benefits of Propecia and also maintain your libido.

You may need to do some experimentation and careful self-monitoring of your hair, over several weeks'(or months) time, in order to see if a half-dose maintains your hair. If it does, and you still have libido issues, you might even try a quarter-dose of Propecia, and see if that works for your hair.

Reportedly there is a scientist in Germany who used to work for Merck, who during his work with the company on Propecia, showed that it worked and maintained its effect even if taken every third day. Sexual side effects certainly do occur, but I find it is much more likely in men in their late 40's and 50's. My usual treatment dose is a half tablet every other day. Merck's own research shows that 0.2mg (a fifth of a tablet) taken daily suppresses DHT 62% and that 1mg (a full pill) suppresses DHT between 65-67%. If find sexual side effects to be quite rare with the dosage I use in my practice.
Mike Beehner, M.D.

Isn't the half life of Propecia only 24 hrs. though? Doesn't that mean there would be an increase of DHT present in between pills?

Dear Hairseeker,
A drug can still have an effect in the body even after 2 x the half life expires, especially in the tissues themselves where they work, rather than in the serum. I have spoken with several well-known hair surgeons from around the world, including Australia and Europe, who find also that even every third day spacing allows for the drug to work just fine. I generally do aim for every other day in my practice, just to be on the safe side, but with many of my patients who prefer to save money by quadrisecting Proscar 5mg tablets, I have them take the tablets Mon-Wed-Fri, and have had very good results in these patients.
Mike Beehner, M.D.

Thank you!
I 1/4 Proscar too and maybe I will try it.

I have been taking it for about 10 months and my minitruized follicles have made an amazing comeback and I have seen improvement with some fine hair in the crown.
Dr. Charles also agreed that I had seen good recovery on the outer fringe of the balding areas.

And my body hair has been growing very slow, especially on my back!

How will I know if I am the one this process doesn't work on? Must i examine the lossage after showering or the pillow or just by sight?

hi sorry, what's libido? I'm thinking about taking propecia and am curious about the side effects.. is lower testosterone one of them? (less manly..so to say..)

for hairseeker,
are you saying that your hair has REGROWN after it diminished? Please say yes.. it will really encourage me to do everything i can to grow back my frontal hairline...

Thank you for taking the time to post on this topic. My HT doctor had advised me as well that taking propecia every other day was sufficient. I took it daily until my insurance stopped covering propecia about 2 months ago. It's very helpful when we can hear professional opinions as well as results from experiments to help guide us.

I've since switched to propecia every other day (due to the personal costs), but as I'm currently 5 month post HT, I cant comment on its effects.

Thanks again.

anonymous:

libido = sex drive

Propecia/Proscar is a DHT blocker. Merck's own study showed that many patients had an increase in circulating testosterone after taking the drug. That is probably because the body continued to produce roughly the same amount of testosterone, but a lower percentage was being converted into DHT.

But each person's body many react differently. The results aren't set in stone for each individual.

Usually, more testosterone is better. Helps keep you lean, muscular, confident, and interested in sex. But too much (like a steroid user) isn't all its cracked up to be.

You are messing with your hormonal system. You best be careful and watch your results/effects closely. That's the best advice.

vocor1
Knowledge is Power
If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.